HR Burnout – How Benefit Program Portals Can Help

How Benefit Program portals help. Implementing and managing an organization’s employee benefits program can put a significant amount of pressure on HR professionals who can be flooded with employee benefits program questions and concerns, taking them away from strategic priorities such as employee retention, recruitment, engagement and productivity efforts.

The past several years have been particularly hard on HR professionals. A 2022 Workvivo survey found that “97% of HR professionals have felt emotionally fatigued from work over the past year.” These results show a significant amount of HR professionals have struggled and may still struggle with workload demand and burnout. A serious issue that organizations should address. Whether that means taking a close look at current workloads or increasing the time and tools available for use.

LESSEN THE DEMAND ON YOUR HR DEPARTMENT

Through the use of online portals, your employees can access important information about their benefits quickly and easily. Whether they are looking for insights into their benefit utilization or prescription history, online portals are one way to increase employee experience and plan utilization and lessen the demand on the HR department. 

Increasing awareness of online tools, including medical and ancillary portals, can encourage employees to get the information they are looking for when they need it. By having access to a 24/7 portal, employees can shorten the delay they may experience by waiting for answers from HR, who may have to reach out to consultants or brokers for further guidance. Due to the shortage of healthcare professionals across the country, getting employees the information they need quickly is essential.

Access to online portals for medical or ancillary benefits is beneficial to employees and HR for several reasons, including:

• Improved health outcomes. With access to their healthcare profiles, employees are better able to obtain and follow medical advice from their physicians. 
• Employees can stay up to date. Any changes in program policy or provider can be seen within the portals. Employees can check to see which doctor is in their network before they make an appointment.
• Aligns information with employees quicker and easier – reducing manual work by HR, allowing them to focus on strategic priorities which can improve morale and overall job satisfaction.
• Information can be accessed 24/7 resulting in faster resolution to important questions.
• Give independence to employees. Easy access to information can alleviate potential frustration and can result in faster resolution to important questions.
• Improved communication throughout the company. Important benefit updates, information, education and answers to common questions can be sent through the portal such as, what doctor is in the current network or how much current prescriptions cost. 
• Personalized experience. Employees can see their individual profiles. Their prescriptions, claim history and program details are there when they need them, increasing employee satisfaction.

Employee benefits portals can also go beyond basic information about a company’s benefits program. Some allow employees access to specific information about their plans and ways to develop strategies based on their medical expenses or procedures. This information can provide employees with a way to plan for future medical procedures or better maintain their current health needs easier.

IMPROVE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE 

To help your people become more aware of the portals available to them, communicate their value every month by sending emails or holding an evening benefits Q&A event. Step-by-step guidelines on how to sign up and use the portals should be provided. Employees should be encouraged to use their portals to find information about their claims data, prescriptions and current policy updates. The right technology can help improve employee experience and alleviate the demand on HR professionals. If you have questions about employee benefits portals don’t hesitate to reach out.